Division-block for baling-presses.



G. E. SPROULS.

DIVISION BLOCK FOR BALING PRESSBS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.16, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

UNTTED TATE PATENT @FFTQE.

CHARLES EDWIN SPROULS, OF HEREFORD, TEXAS.

DIVISION-BLOCK FOR BALINGr-PRESSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SPRoULs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hereford, in the county of Deaf Smith and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Division-Block for Baling-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to division blocks for baling presses and has for its object the provision of a simple construction whereby the life of the block will be increased and the baling wire may be readily inserted or withdrawn. This object and such other incidental objects, as will hereinafter appear, are attained by the use of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in certain novel features of the same which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a baling press showing division blocks inrposition therein equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation, partly broken away, of one of the division blocks. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the wire guide and support.

The division block 1 consists of a wooden body 2 of the usual construction and of such dimensions as to fit snugly within the baling chamber 3 of a baling press so as to separate the bales formed therein and to hold the same in proper shape during the application of the bale ties. The bale ties t are passed around the bales in the usual manner and are inserted through wire guides or supports 5 on the sides of the body 2 of the division block, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. These wire guides or supports 5 are castings consisting of a back plate 6 corresponding in length to the width of the division block and secured to the side of the same by means of screws 7 inserted through openings 8 at the corners of the casting, as shown, and as will be readily understood. The casting may be secured to the face of the body 2 or may be set within recesses therein, as shown in Fig. 2, and on the outer face of the casting are outwardly-converging ribs or plates 9 together forming a channel or groove 10 through which the tie wire 4 is inserted, the space or opening 11 between the outer edges of these plates 9 being of such size as to easily permit the wire to be withdrawn after the bale is tied and at the same time prevent its premature withdrawal.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 16, 1910.

Patented May 3(1 1911. Serial No. 549,680.

The spaces between the castings 5 are filled by strips 12 secured to the body 2 of the division block and properly shaped to fit snugly against the castings so as to entirely fill the space between them and having their outer faces flush with the outer edges of the converging plates or ribs 9 of the casting.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that I have provided a very simple, cheap and efiicient device by which rough wire may be inserted through the grooves of the division blocks without bending the wire or defacing the block, inasmuch as the wire will be passed between metallic surfaces into which it cannot enter and will, consequently, be forced to pass directly to the opposite side of the block. Slight irregularities in the wire will, consequently, not interfere with its passage through the grooves, as the walls of the casting will be sufficiently strong to overcome these irregularities and tend to straighten the wire in its passage to the opposite side of the baling chamber. The division blocks heretofore in use would quickly split under the pressure to which they were subjected so that the insertion of the tie wires required considerable time and was a difiicult operation, but these objections are entirely overcome by the use of my device for the reasons stated. .The casting reinforces the edges of the grooved portions of the block so as to effectually resist the battering of the same under the action of the baling press so that the filling strips 12 will not be broken or splintered easily, and should these filling strips be damaged through long continued use, they may be replaced without requiring the provision of an entirely new division block.

The device may be made in any size and, in actual practice will be made in a large variety of sizes so that it may be easily applied to any style and size of baling press.

Inasmuch as I employ a solid casting, the block is braced and held together and the inadvertent admission of a hard substance between the plunger of the press and the division block will not have any damaging effect on the division block, as the metallic casting will efi'cctually protect the same and prevent the destruction of the wire-receiving groove. The straw will not press into the groove, and, if one or two straws should happen to find their way into the grooves,

their presence will not interfere with the passage of the wire. The casting is secured positively to the central body of the division block and, consequently, slight inaccuracies in the shaping and fitting of the filling strips between the castings will be of no importance, inasmuch as they do not perform any function in the holding of the casting.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of; the method of; operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, andwhile I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I. now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as arewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A division block comprising a body member, wire guides-secured thereto, each comprising a back plate. having means for the passage of fastening devices therethrough into the body member, and spaced outwardly converging rigid ribs projecting from said plate in inset relation to the outer edges of the back plate, said ribs defining a dove-tail shaped channel with a space between the outer edges of the ribs of a size to permit withdrawal of a baling wire on the exertion of a suitable force, and fillers applied to the body portion of the block with their outer faces flush with the outer edges of the converging ribs.

2. In a division block for baling presses, wire guides each consisting of a back plate of rigid material with rigid converging ribs formed thereon in inset relation to the mar gins of the back plate where oining the latter, the portions of the back plate projecting beyond the ribs being provided with means for the passage of fastening devices and the outer edges of the converging ribs being spaced apart to permit the passage of a baling wire therebetween but preventits premature passage.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atIiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES EDWIN SPROULS.

Witnesses:

BURT COOK, J. H. KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

